The benefits of breastfeeding are numerous.

Benefits of Breastfeeding for Baby

For baby, there are benefits such as:

• Better mouth and teeth formation
• Less likely to suffer with allergies such as Asthma and Eczema
• Mum’s immunity will pass to baby via breast milk
• Unlikely to suffer with stomach upsets and constipation
• Higher IQ due to good brain development in early life

Benefits of Breastfeeding for Mum

But that’s not all. Mum also sees lots of benefits, such as:

• Reduces chance of breast and ovarian cancer
• Faster return to pre pregnancy figure.
• Its free!!

Another question we often get is “how your diet impacts on breastfeeding?”.

Here are some handy rules of thumb:

• Alcohol: They say…’If you can drive you can breastfeed’… this should keep you on the right track
• Caffeine: No more than 1-2 cups of tea or coffee a day
• Extra Calories: We need an extra 300-500 calories a day to fulfil the energy requirements needed to make enough healthy breast milk for baby

Then there is your Support network

There are so many people rooting for you, so make sure to tap into supports if you need them:

• Midwives in hospital
• Lactation Consultants (if necessary)
• Hospital Breastfeeding Support Group
• Community Breastfeeding Support Groups
• PHN – Breastfeeding group and house calls
• Call your hospital anytime
• Voluntary support networks e.g. Cuidiu, Le Leche League, etc.
• www.kellymom.com is a reputable ‘go-to’ or reference website

Breastfeeding Preparation Courses at The Baby Academy